Eumetopias jubatus,Northern Sea Lion





Eumetopias jubatus			THE RACE ROCKS TAXONOMY

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Sub Phylum	Vertebrata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Otariidae
Genus	Eumetopias (Gill, 1866)
Species	jubatus (Schreber,1776)
Common Name	Northern or Steller's Sea Lion

Northern Sea Lions peak in numbers at Race Rocks in the fall.


Northern Sea Lions, Dec 12, 2006 in a view taken for census from the remote camera 5	Click on the image above for more videos and information on Sea Lions	Northern Sea Lions underwater video	Northern Sea Lions on Great Race Rock island

Northern Sea Lions by the docks at Race Rocks. One dark colored California sealion is on the left.		photos by G.Fletcher	Branded Sea lions at Race Rocks : See the collection. Note comment on Stellers in bottom text.

This Northern Sea Lion was photographed with fishing equipment swallowed in September 2003..also see other photos of flashers and boat collisions.	Underwater shot of a branded sea lion	In early November 2007, Mike Slater took this picture of a Northern Sea lion with a large tumor like growth on the side of its face. The animal was not sighted again at Race Rocks, however on August 22, 2009 it was photographed at Mittlenatch Island.	Northern Sea lions. Photo by Natan

This sequence was taken in August 2008 by PB from the remote camera 5.	This is a link to the white sturgeon file where a series of images taken by Ryan Murphy show predation by a Northern Sealion on a white sturgeon at Race Rocks.
This link shows the conflict of motor boats and marine mammals in the reserve.	In December 2009 this northern sea lion was captured and released from an entangling rope.

This is the largest of the Otariidae or ‘eared seals’ family.

Habitat: Northern Sea Lions are found on North-Pacific coasts; in Russia, Alaska, Japan, Canada and the USA in particular. They spend most of their time on rocky shores and in coastal water. During bad weather they stay under water. At Race Rocks , the peak in numbers of these mammals is in October to January , upwards of 400 may be reported at Race Rocks. They mix freely with the Californian Sea Lion which may number well over 1000 individuals between October and February.

See the references on Sea Lions in our RREO Index

Description: The Sea Lions at Race Rocks are mainly bachelor bulls or juvenile yearlings. Since this is not a breeding colony, mature females do not usually come here. There are clear differences between males and females. The males are larger in size and weigh more. Whereas the average sea lion male weighs 566 kg (1,245 pounds) the average female weights only 263 kg (579 pounds). Moreover, the average male has a body length of 288 cm (10 2/3 feet) while the average female has a body length of 228 cm (8 2/3 feet). Most females are yellowish or creamed color and most males are dark.
The average life span of a steller’s sea lion is about 20 years for males and old females can even reach 30 years. The breeding season is between May-June and each mating produces a single pup.
Steller’s sea lions are marine carnivores. They feed on wild fish (salmon, herring, rockfish, flounder, and Pollock) as well as on invertebrates such as squid and octopus. The Steller's sea lions feed at night, usually about 15-20 km. from shore. This relatively selective diet is one of the causes of the sea lions’ decreasing numbers since they compete with humans for this food.

An Eastern Alaskan population is now on the endangered species list due to severe declines in numbers over the past decade. They are now a threatened species included in the 'Red List' and protected in the USA and by the Commonwealth Independent States ( CIS).

Although they dive and spent s lot of time under water, Northern Sea Lions are also known for their ‘sunbaths’ and are often watched catching sunlight on the rocky shores. Male Northern Sea Lions are generally aggressive and territorial.

References cited:
http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=wildlife_news.view_article&issue_id=40&articles_id=229